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Pain-free Garrard ready for an NFL return

He says he's over his injury and the ex-Jags QB is ready to work out for any NFL team.

Kelly.Jordan For the Times-Union Former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard is feeling healthy after a recent string of injuries.

Bob.Self@jacksonville.com Former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard says he would be willing to play for any of the 32 NFL teams.

If timing in life is indeed everything, then David Garrard remains hopeful that some of the terrible injury circumstances keeping him on the sideline the past 15 months have finally subsided to allow the former Jaguars quarterback to regain NFL employment.

“I’m ready to go anywhere, I’d be open to all 32 teams,” Garrard said Wednesday from his Jacksonville home. “That’s the best thing, not having to worry about a back or a knee.”

Garrard, who played nine seasons with the Jaguars and was a full-time starter from 2007-10, has suffered a myriad of injuries since his controversial release by former coach Jack Del Rio five days before the 2011 season opener. A month later, he had surgery to repair a herniated disc, then endured leg pain and back spasms for the remainder of last season.

Just when it appeared his career was back on track with the Miami Dolphins, who made Garrard the starter to begin the 2012 preseason, he developed problems in his left knee that required arthroscopic surgery. A day after he returned to practice, though not 100 percent, the Dolphins released him on Sept. 4 because there was too much uncertainty about his health.

“Everything was going great in Miami, I was back on top of my game,” said Garrard. “Then all of a sudden, the knee started swelling for no apparent reason. I wasn’t even able to be the Dolphins’ backup when I came back, so I understood their situation [of releasing him].”

Two months later, Garrard is feeling like his old self again. He’s been throwing passes on a regular basis to former Jaguars tight end Zach Miller, who is also looking to return to the NFL after going on injured reserve Sept. 1. On Monday, Garrard received medical clearance from his doctor after having no side effects on his knee from running and cutting.

It’s the first time in a long while that Garrard could remember being pain-free during and after a workout. He admits that before and after his release by the Jaguars, he had physical limitations. Even in recent weeks, there were fluid issues in his knee that kept him from running with a full effort.

“That’s the biggest thing this whole time, my knee consistently had fluid in there,” Garrard said. “Fluid causes tightness in the knee and the quad not to fire, so you run with a limp. You can’t strengthen your quad or your legs. Walking, I was fine. But running, I had a noticeable limp.”

Being pain-free prompted Garrard and his agent, Al Irby, to put out the word immediately that he was ready for any NFL team to put him through workouts. Garrard said it was mere coincidence that he pronounced himself physically ready after a weekend in which four starting quarterbacks — Michael Vick, Alex Smith, Jay Cutler and Ben Roethlisberger — suffered injuries and are either out or questionable for Sunday’s games.

THERE’S SOME INTEREST

Garrard said one team, whose identity he wouldn’t reveal, did call and told his agent they wanted to see what transpired this week before making any moves at quarterback. At this point, Garrard is just glad to have anybody interested in his services after such a long layoff.

“It’s definitely a concern when you’re away from the game this long,” he said. “I want to be on a team this year, just to get established again. If I don’t get picked up this season, then you’re looking at two years removed from football and teams lose the desire to want to bring you in. I’d have no problem with moving on with life if I didn’t go anywhere, but I don’t want to go out injuring myself into retirement.

“I know I can still play. I know I can help a ballclub in any kind of role, starter or backup. I had proven that to myself with the Dolphins, but I didn’t get to see it come to fruition because of the knee.”

Garrard, who turns 35 in February, has a 39-37 record as a starter, a career touchdown-interception ratio of 89-54, and has thrown for 16,003 yards. He acknowledged that after his release by the Jaguars, his desire to play football diminished. But after getting a glimpse of what it’s like to go an entire season without being on a team, he feels rejuvenated.

“Just being down after my release by the Jaguars, I wondered about whether I wanted to keep going [with football],” said Garrard. “But when you’re away from the game, the juices start flowing again. I thought there was a time I could walk away and just enjoy my family time. My wife [Mary] let me know she wasn’t going to have that. She wasn’t going to have me sit around.”

Family life has meant added responsibility in the past year as the Garrards welcome a second child, daughter Makena, last March and are expecting another baby next spring. Their oldest child is 5-year-old Justin. David stays in touch with several Jaguars’ players and is genuinely distraught that the club is 1-8, tied for the worst record in the NFL.

A JAGUARS FAN

“I’m a Jaguars fan,” said Garrard. “I played with the organization too long, know too many of the players, so I want them to do well. When it gets tough like it has been, I feel everybody’s pain in this, from the players to the fans.”

Despite the awkward circumstances under which the Jaguars released him, Garrard says he would welcome a return to his ex-employer in whatever role they wanted him. He doesn’t harbor any resentment toward the Jaguars, though people often remind him of their disapproval of how he exited. Garrard sees the criticism descending on general manager Gene Smith and knows there could be changes, but thinks he would adjust to new circumstances.

“If you’re not getting the job done with wins and losses, the finger will start getting pointed,” Garrard said. “That’s just the business. I had to feel it. Jack [Del Rio] took it on last year, now it’s Gene [Smith]. I think [Smith] has a nose for finding talent, but it’s all about wins and losses. Hopefully, he can turn it around and save his job.

“I wouldn’t think it’d be awkward for me to go back. It’s basically a whole new organization with a different owner [Shad Khan]. Everybody is basically gone that was there before. I wouldn’t hold any grudges. I still appreciate Gene Smith and what he’s done for me. I know a lot of things people wish happened differently, but I love Jacksonville and the Jaguars. I would have no problem joining them again.”